ST. MARY'S CITY, Md. - The music of Duke Ellington will be highlighted in an upcoming concert scheduled to be held at the St. Mary's College of Maryland (SMCM). The concert will feature the college's jazz band under the direction of Don Stapleson.

Stapleson is an accomplished saxophonist and respected flutist. He performs with his own groupThe Don Stapleson Quartetas well as with the popular classical/jazz crossover group, Allegro con Trio.

Stapleson has also been keeping busy in the recording studio. His flute-playing can be heard on television's America's Most Wanted, The National Geographic Special The Inca Ice Maiden, The Serval Cats, and in the PBS series Realms of the Deep.

Stapleson attended the Berklee College of Music and holds degrees from St. Mary's College and the University of Maryland. He teaches saxophone and directs both the Jazz Combo and the Jazz Ensemble at SMCM.

The concert is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 19, at 3 p.m. It will be held in the Auerbach Auditorium in St. Mary's Hall on the college grounds. The concert is free and open to the public.

St. Mary's College of Maryland is ranked one of the best liberal arts colleges in the nation by U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. With roots going back to 1840, SMCM is the state's only public honors college, offering the academic excellence of a top private college with the openness and affordability of public education.